College for the Average Vigilante
by WriterofGotham
Summary: Jason goes to Bruce with his list of complaints about college.
1. Chapter 1

"Let me drop out of college, and I'll stop killing people for good." Jason said calmly as he looked Bruce in the eye. Jason had stormed into Bruce's office composed himself, and then eyes flashing let him know his demand.

Bruce in turn shifted the papers he was working on, "What is it now, Jason?" Bruce had barely convinced Jason to sign up for classes and now this.

"My English teacher is a psycho, she is demented, do you know the stories I've read and had to write reports on? No wonder college students are depressed. Don't even get me started on my online classes and discussion boards. 'Kelly, I agree with you that the point that was so painfully obvious. You're so smart. Wow, I would never have thought of it.' Plus two hundred words. You can't make me go back, to Gotham Community College, Bruce."

Bruce gave him a long suffering look before he replied, "It can't be that bad."

"It is, have you read, 'The Lottery' and your psycho teacher make it class participation and someone gets chosen as the sacrifice? I didn't think so, Bruce. Have you read 'A Rose for Emily' people think that it's a love story? Ha-ha, that crazy lady got away with murder." Jason started to pace in the study as he continued, "Do you know what it's like to have a crap ton of cases dealing with drug dealers and be in class with the friends of drug dealers and the stupidest people in the world? Teenagers are dumb I had to listen to the teacher explain something three times because this kid didn't understand how to turn on a computer. No, Bruce you dropped out of college, twice. You got out of this crap."

Bruce looked almost ashamed, "I just was starting being Batman, and my teachers hated me. No one was used as a sacrifice in your class, anyway."

"Barely, I got the slip of paper that marked me for being stoned to death as if a crowbar and being blown up wasn't bad enough. My teachers love a rough looking, guy from a bad part of town, who knows the answers that I shouldn't because I have a crazy adopted father who tried to cram all this information into me at a young age. Do you even know the amount of times I've been accused of cheating? Do you know how many times I've tried to bribe Tim into taking the math quizzes? I hate college. I died once, going to college makes me want to die again. I realize I live in Gotham, but the first time I was on campus there was a fight outside between three students. Two of them were beating the crap out of the other student. The teacher looked out the window to see them and then walked away. My classmates wanted to call the campus police, but he said, "They'll work it out." I left and beat the two bullies and helped the kid that was getting beat to pieces. The teacher gave my a 50 for classroom involvement."

Bruce got up from his chair slowly. "Okay, I'm convinced you should drop out of college."

"What! You think I can't handle the inane teachers and stupid busy work? I am a high school dropout, I'm not dropping out of community college too, even if the chick I sit beside won't shut up about Nightwing or that her sister is marrying into the most insane family in Gotham. They are crazy she thought I was joking when I offered to take care of them for her." Jason added emphatically.

"You don't want to stop killing drug dealers." Bruce said calmly as he went back to work.

"I don't want to give you the satisfaction of me being a "drop out" again. Death won't be able to keep me from coming to those terrible, no good, hideous, stupid, classes." Jason added emphatically.

 **So midterms are over! I had a little free time so I wrote this flashfic. Wish We Could Turn Back Time has given me a case of writers block or I would have updated it instead.**

 **Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Jason looked at himself in the mirror his black hair was combed back with the white to a less obvious angle, the dress pants he'd bought just for the occasion were pressed so crisp even Alfred couldn't have done a better job, and the black dress shirt matched the graduation gown perfectly. He almost couldn't believe that he was going to graduate. He died before he could complete high school. This was his first graduation ceremony, besides kindergarten of course.

He took one final look before leaving the crappy public bathroom in the community college and took a short walk to join the graduates. Jason prepared to walk and get his diploma. It was an Associates degree in English. It had taken two and a half years to get the two-year degree, but he had done it. Eight gang wars, an alien invasion, and healing from multiple injuries all though out taking classes that ranged from crazy to boring. In his College success class, they had a whole lecture on Myers Briggs personality types after that Jason typed the whole Batfamily and the entire Justice League and villains. Typing them actually made it easier to get on their nerves, he knew the general things that they hated. That was the most useful thing he learned in college.

Jason had felt like quitting so many times when he accidentally signed up for the advanced I.T. class with a hard teacher instead of the easier one with less homework. When the Joker came to campus and threatened to take everyone hostage and Jason almost shot him with the guns he forgot to leave at his apartment. (They were concealed) When he got busy and then got stuck with an 8:00 am class, after that he tried to stick with online classes or night ones. He never signed up for classes late again.

The music started and Jason knew that he was going to be walking soon. He fixed his hard-won honor cord making sure it was straight as he fidgeted a little, his hands seemed to try to find something to do. He wondered if any of the family came. He sent a text to Bruce, but he never knew if he would show up. Bruce was the one to suggest taking a few classes. Half the class had walked out to sit in the seats until their name was called.

This was what he'd worked for. Roy hadn't seen the point in taking classes when Jason wouldn't get a different job other than toting guns and shooting criminals. Jason didn't know if he wanted to spend the rest of his life being a vigilante, he'd been looking at getting a bachelor's degree and maybe if he ever could quit, he could teach high school English. Something different than always being violent, that is if he lived past twenty-five.

Sherry, a woman he'd taken a math class with nudged him and pointed to the doorway. It was his turn to walk. Jason walked calmly down and looked at the bleachers to see that not just Bruce, but everyone showed up, even Roy and Kori in civilian clothes. The college's president (Jason once met him, he was a total douche) droned on and on about how proud he was of the graduates. When the president was finally done speaking someone else Jason had never laid eyes on started to speak, the man never seemed to run out of words and Jason was beginning to think that he would never get his diploma, and then a woman came on stage and announced it was time to hand out the diploma's.

His name was pretty far down the list, but the time seemed to fly by til Jason Todd was called. He walked up, shook hands, then got the piece of paper he had worked so hard for. Jason smiled when he heard the clapping and cheering his family was doing for him. _His family had cheered for him louder than any of the other people._ It was strange that they were proud of him, but it felt good. Jason found that he couldn't stop smiling.

He finally graduated from college.

 **AN**

 **I got to thinking about Jason in this story, I think he would want to walk and have everyone there. I had also been thinking about him and never getting the chance to graduate high school. That makes me so sad.  
**

 **I start summer classes this Tuesday and my phlebotomy internship so my other stories are going on temporary hiatus. I'm looking forward to and dreading working at the hospital, but on the upside, I won't have to match my outfits.**


End file.
